8.7 The student will investigate and solve practical problems involving volume and surface area of rectangular solids (prisms).

Questions

1. Find the volume and surface area for 5 different Rectangular Prisms.

2. Find the missing dimesion. Round to the nearest unit.
a. Rectangular Prism: volume 450cu ft, height ___, length 7 ft, width 6 ft

b. Rectangular Prism: surface area 235sq in, height 4.5in, length 7in, width ___

3. Firewood: Wood for a fireplace is often sold by the cord. A cord is 8ft by 4ft by 4ft. How many cubic feet are in a cord of wood?

Other Prisms

Spreadsheet Activities

Hands-On Activities

  • LearnAlberta.ca This interactive web site allows the user to explore the concepts of surface area, volume, 3D shapes and nets. Includes print and video activities.
  • Activity 2
  • Activity 3

Other Web Sites

  • Shodor This lesson is designed to introduce students to surface area and volume of a prism.
  • Studyzone Here are some notes on finding the volume of a prisms.
  • LearnAlberta Click on "Skip Intro", then click on "Lesson". Choose lesson 14 for notes on Surface Area of a Prism. Choose lesson 15 to get notes on volume of a rectangular prism.
  • ExploreLearning Teachers have to assign the Surface and Lateral Area of Prisms and Cylinders to their classes. Students should read the Exploration Guide.
  • Larson´s Software Click on the Geometry in Space, then click on Surface Area of a Prism. Do the See It, Try It, and Zap It.

Lesson 3-2: Prisms

Use this worksheet to practice finding the Volume and Surface Area of a Rectangular Prism. Adjust the height, length, and width using the labeled sliders. Answer the questions on the right. The multi-colored switches can be used to check your work.

Sorry, the GeoGebra Applet could not be started. Please make sure that Java 1.4.2 (or later) is installed and activated. (click here to install Java now)

Created with GeoGebra by Lewis Prisco